Even novice astronomers know that the biggest threat to stargazing is not the cold – but light.

There’s nothing more frustrating than setting up your telescope and turning off your household lights, only to look up at the sky and see nothing but a couple of stars struggling to sparkle through a phosphorescent glow.

That glow is caused by light pollution emanating from towns and cities. If you really want to make the most of your new hobby, you’ll need to find a place where the sky is truly dark.

Here we reveal the best spots to go star gazing in your area. Pictured: Orion over the Rollright Stones in the Cotswolds

Thankfully, there are many organisations and websites that can show you the best stargazing spots in your area.

A good place to start is Dark Sky Discovery (www.darkskydis covery.org.uk), which has an easy-to-use map of over 150 excellent stargazing spots across the UK.

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These sites, which are all wheelchair-friendly, are free from most light pollution and boast great sightlines so you can enjoy the best panoramas possible.

Also useful is the website NightBlight (nightblight.cpre.org.uk), which is run by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

The site’s interactive map reveals the levels of light pollution at any given spot in the UK. Although it doesn’t recommend specific locations, it offers more flexibility if you want to know what the pollution is like at a place you might want to visit.

Here then is our guide to the best stargazing spots around the UK… and don’t forget to take your Daily Mail Stars Over Britain poster free with last week’s magazine.

SOUTH EAST Near London, the South Downs National Park boasts no fewer than seven recognised stargazing spots, including Ditchling Beacon, Butser Hill, Old Winchester Hill, Iping Common and Devil’s Dyke. Visit southdowns.gov.uk/enjoy/explore/dark-night-skies for more information.

FOUR GREAT STAR GAZING APPS

There are lots of apps out there that promise to be planetariums for your smartphone, but these are four of the very best – and they’re all free...

Sky View (Free, Android and Apple)

Simply point your device towards the night sky and Sky View tells you what you’re looking at. Then click on a constellation, planet or star for a full description.

Meteor Shower Calendar (Free, Android and Apple)

Shooting stars are more common than you think. This handy app will tell you when and where you can watch meteor showers.

NASA (Free, Android and Apple)

This app is packed with information about current NASA missions, when to spot the International Space Station where you live and a fantastic gallery of images.

STAR CHART (Free, Android and Apple)

A great app for young stargazers, Star Chart shows what’s visible in the sky above you. Point it at the ground to see the view on the other side of the world.

MIDLANDS The Peak District is blessed with truly dark skies and has three recommended spots at Surprise View, Parsley Hay and Minninglow. They’re all easily accessible and have information panels that help to guide you around the night sky – essential if you’ve forgotten your Daily Mail poster!

NORTH The North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland national parks all have many stargazing spots. The Kielder Observatory holds stargazing events including family astronomy nights. Book your space in advance at kielderobservatory.org.

NORTH WEST If you’re near Blackburn, Preston or Lancaster then head into the Forest of Bowland. There are five designated dark sky sites there, including the Beacon Fell Visitor Centre. There’s also Clerk Laithe Lodge (clerklaithe.co.uk), a guest house and restaurant right in the middle of the forest that offers walkways to the darkest possible areas.

WALES The Brecon Beacons National Park is a designated Dark Sky Reserve, so it’s a superb place to take your telescope. There are countless stargazing locations in the park – try the remote Usk Reservoir Car Park near Trecastle for the darkest of skies, or the National Park Visitor Centre in Libanus where the Cardiff Astronomical Society holds occasional sessions.

WEST COUNTRY Like the Brecon Beacons, Exmoor National Park is also a Dark Sky Reserve, which means light pollution is at a minimum. If you’re further south, near Newquay, try Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps where the Kernow Astronomers (kernowastronomers.com) periodically hold events.

SCOTLAND Take your stargazing really seriously north of the border in the Scottish Highlands.

The Cairngorms and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs national parks are unrivalled on the mainland, or if you’re very adventurous try the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides. It’s been named a Dark Sky Island by the International Dark Sky Association, as it has some of the darkest skies in Europe. For more details visit darkskycoll.co.uk.

COTSWOLDS It’s not just the national parks that enjoy unpolluted night skies, but also the designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty all over the country. The Cotswolds has a particularly suitable location at the Rollright Stone Circle near Chipping Norton, where you can watch the heavens with these Neolithic sentinels.

Scotland is also host to Europe’s first ‘dark sky town’ in the form of Moffat in the Annandale valley. Thanks to special street lights that minimise light pollution, the stars are visible right in the centre of town. You can see at least 17 of Orion’s 30 stars, whereas in most towns you will only see six.